Suffolk County, NY Business Licensing & Operations: Towing Companies (2026)
Key Facts
- Tow fee cap
- Town's municipal towing rate
- Storage cap
- $20 per day maximum
- Applies to
- Private, publicly accessed lots
- Enforcer
- Office of Consumer Affairs
- Code
- Suffolk County Code Ch. 796
Summary
Suffolk County Code Chapter 796 forbids tow operators from charging more than the town's municipal towing rate to pull a vehicle from a private, publicly accessed lot, and caps storage at $20 per day. The Office of Consumer Affairs enforces it.
Fees charged for the seizure/tow of a vehicle from privately owned, publicly accessed parking lots within the County of Suffolk shall not exceed the fees established for municipal towing purposes by the town within which the tow/seizure occurs.
B. Upon payment of all required charges for the release of a towed vehicle, the towing company shall provide the owner or authorized user of the vehicle with a receipt that reflects all payments made to the towing company. [Added 10-17-2006 by L.L. No. 54-2006]
C. No private property owner shall receive or enter into any contract or other agreement to receive from a tow company, nor shall any tow company pay or enter into any contract or other agreement to pay to the private property owner, any share of the payments received for the towing or storage of a towed motor vehicle or any fee or amount dependent upon the number of towed motor vehicles removed from said private property owner's parking lot. [Added 10-17-2006 by L.L. No. 54-2006]
Full Breakdown
For non-consensual tows from privately owned, publicly accessed parking lots, § 796-6(A) caps the tow charge at the municipal towing fee set by the town where the seizure occurs. Under § 796-5, the only additional charge allowed is storage, which shall not exceed $20 per day, and no storage fee may be charged for days the vehicle was not available for pickup or the operator was closed. Tow companies must meet the notice and receipt requirements of §§ 796-3 and 796-4, and the Office of Consumer Affairs enforces the chapter under § 796-7, with penalties for offenses under § 796-9.
Violations & Fines
Charging more than the town's municipal tow rate, or storage above $20 per day or for days the operator was closed, violates Chapter 796; the Office of Consumer Affairs enforces it, with penalties under § 796-9.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much can a Suffolk County tower charge to pull my car from a private lot?
Who handles complaints about a tow company overcharging?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Suffolk County
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